A disruptive Donald Trump supporter on board Delta Airlines Flight 248 (Facebook screen grab)
The CEO of Delta Airlines has revealed that the disruptive Donald Trump supporter on board Flight 248 will never be able to ride their planes again.
The incident occurred Nov. 22 as the aircraft traveled from Atlanta to Allentown, Pennsylvania. The unruly customer was caught on tape gloating about Trump’s victory and referring to women on board as “Hillary b——.” He apparently assumed all the women aboard the flight supported former Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
Many online had expressed outrage over the passenger being allowed to remain on the plane, including actresses Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union and Vivica A. Fox, who have more than seven million Twitter followers between them.
In a Nov. 28 memo, CEO Ed Bastian informed Delta workers that the unnamed passenger had earned himself a lifetime ban from the airline.
“This individual displayed behavior that was loud, rude and disrespectful to his fellow customers,” Bastian wrote in part, after thanking the crew for “the amazing job” they did during the Thanksgiving holiday.
“After questioning the customer, our team members made the best decision they could given the information they had and allowed him to remain on the flight. However, if our colleagues had witnessed firsthand what was shown in the video, there is no question they would have removed him from the aircraft. He will never again be allowed on a Delta plane.”
In reaction to the passenger’s permanent ban, many expressed their feelings online.
“Lucifer” actress Lesley-Ann Brandt thanked the airline and saw it as a “lesson to other idiots out there.”
Thank you @Delta and let that be a lesson to other idiots out there. Lifetime bans are awaiting. https://t.co/AAnDIkpum7
— 📎Lesley-Ann Brandt (@LesleyAnnBrandt) November 28, 2016
Wyn called the move “admirable.”
https://twitter.com/wendyofrva/status/803298938086273026
However, Alexis Jiménez felt the ban was not punishment enough.
Not enough. He should have been kicked out and charged for interference with a flight crew at a minimum. https://t.co/eLtOHoDQEM
— (((Alexis Jiménez))) (@BernardLeCroix) November 27, 2016
Tiffany High was irritated that it took pressure from the public to make Delta see the error of its ways.
@deray @TIME Good. Still pissed that it took public pressure and not the company’s conscience to make this happen. ?
— Tiffany High (@TiffHigh) November 28, 2016
@divalicious206 announced she still won’t fly with the airline, noting a past incident where a Delta flight attendant discriminated against a Black woman doctor.
.@TiffHigh @deray @TIME Yup… I still won’t be flying. Also Delta has had problems believing in AA Drs & treating POC w respect on flites.
— ✨phoeniXrising ✨ (@divalicious206) November 28, 2016
Bastian concluded his statement by announcing that Delta had refunded all of the other passengers’ ticket costs and offered each of them an apology.
“We also must remain committed more than ever to the safety of our customers and our crew members,” he said. “We will not tolerate anything less.”
